PHILADELPHIA— Jalen hurts came in the Eagles’ Week 8 win over the Bengals that he can be one of the best quarterbacks in the league.


Through the first four weeks of the season, Hurts led the NFL with eight turnovers and struggled to spark the Eagles’ fierce offense. Considering Hurts’ inconsistent play last season and his disappointing performance in September, some people believed he wasn’t a good quarterback anymore.


In 2022, Hurts was considered elite because he finished second in the MVP voting and played well in the Eagles’ Super Bowl appearance.


When Hurts beat the Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and helped Philadelphia’s offense score a season-high 37 points last Sunday, he took a step in the right direction toward becoming a top quarterback again.


“Jalen is a very, very good player,” Eagles tight end said Grant Calcaterra said. “When we click offensively, we are hard to stop. So yeah, he’s definitely an MVP-type player.”


After the Week 5 bye, the Eagles won three games in a row.


During their three-game win streak, Hurts scored eight touchdowns and had no turnovers. Since Week 6, he has the third-highest Pro Football Focus grade (87.1) among NFL quarterbacks and ranks first in adjusted EPA/play.


Hurts, who was benched at Alabama and doubted throughout his career, overcame many shortcomings to become an NFL starter. Over the past three weeks, the 26-year-old has been more efficient and accurate out of the pocket.


“He’s growing,” Eagles offensive tackle Fred Johnson said. “Jalen is a man who handles adversity very well, despite everything he has been through during his career and all the odds were against him.


“He’s earned the right to be someone who is very, very much what you want in a main guy, that number one guy. He’s very, very resilient. He doesn’t let things get to his heart. He is very true to his nature and profession.”


Following the The Eagles’ awful loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 4Hurts took a lot of the blame and accepted criticism.


“He’s been one of those guys that said, ‘Hey, sometimes it wasn’t what it was supposed to be for me.’” Eagles backup offensive tackle Darian Kinnard said. “He came in and took responsibility for that. …I saw an increase in responsibility after the bye week.


“During the week off he was here to get better. He talked to other guys in the locker room and got critical feedback from the offensive line and from the coaches. He came in thinking, ‘I have to get better. I have to improve certain things.’ He has done that so far.’”


Hurts has taken on a bigger leadership role this season.


He had to get up because Jason Kelcewho was Philadelphia’s vocal leader for the past decade, retired this offseason. Some analysts and rival coaches told NJ Advance Media before the season that the Eagles might struggle to overcome tough times without Kelce.


Entering the bye week, the Eagles lost two of their last three games. After each loss, Hurts made sure things didn’t fall apart.


“On the days when we came to practice after those tough losses, we would have lunch or dinner after practice was over,” Kinnard said. “(Jalen) sat down and talked to the team. We picked his brain about his thinking and where his head was.


“Ultimately, as a quarterback, you are the one steering the ship, especially on offense. He came in and let us know what his mindset was for the coming weeks and what we need to do as a team. That was a huge show of character.”


At the end of each practice, Hurts throws extra passes to his wide receivers and tight ends. Hurts then points out their mistakes to help them improve.


“Those kinds of things show up on Sundays,” the Eagles wide receiver said Jahan Dotson said. “That’s why we can make so many plays.”


Hurts motivates his teammates.


After the Eagles lost to the Falcons in Week 2, Nick Sirianni said he didn’t address his players because Hurts’ message was “perfect.”


“(Jalen) is a good guy,” veteran Eagles offensive lineman Nick Gates said. “He comes to work. It’s not super loud. But when he needs to talk, he talks. Everyone appreciates that.”


Over the past two weeks, Johnson has started at left tackle instead Jordan Mailatawho went on injured reserve before Week 7 with a hamstring injury. Johnson allowed one pressure on the Bengals pass rusher Trey Hendrickson on 13 snaps, the second-lowest pressure rate allowed against Hendrickson this year.


Before shutting down one of the league’s best pass rushers last week, Johnson had a conversation with Hurts that helped boost his confidence.


“Look how he communicates with me,” Johnson said. “He’s trusted me since I first stepped on this board. His confidence has not yet been betrayed. He demands greatness and tells me: ‘You must carry out your assignment and do it to the best of your ability.’


Hurts, who makes a team-high $51 million per year, has struggled with consistency over the past two seasons.


During the bye week, Hurts had tough conversations with teammates and coaches to figure out their offensive issues. Now he could lead the Eagles to their fourth straight victory against the 2-6 Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.


“It’s a huge thing, especially when it’s your quarterback,” Kinnard said of Hurts taking responsibility. “It just lets everyone know that you can’t be too big. You are not bigger than the team. If you want to win games, you have to have humility and see what you did wrong. Even in the wins you saw moments where you messed up.”



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